“Thank you,” I whispered aloud. Someone, somewhere, wanted me to challenge the horrible creature who enslaved my mother and aunts. I was no fool, though. The Proprietor of the ball was a supe, and supernaturals came in all types. If The Proprietor was the evil type, they wouldn’t care if the “good guy” won. They simply wanted to be entertained, and what would be more fun to watch than an innocent, peaceful creature confronting an evil, powerful one? I shook my head and clutched the invitation. I would not think about the odds.
The fate of my kin-women was in my hands. I couldn’t let them down.
Chapter Two
I had to work quickly to be ready by midnight. I donned my hood, shifting back into my seal form, and swam down the Scottish coast as quickly as my gliding body could take me. In the Edinburgh area, I silently rose from the water at the sight of a house with clothes drying on a line. I plucked a shirt and leggings, tamping down my guilt about stealing, and then covered the ensemble with my pelt, heading barefooted into the city.
It was one thing to venture from the sea to the quiet northern lands of Scotland. But to travel into the city of Edinburgh, fraught with noise, was something altogether different. Overwhelming. Rumbling engines and high bursts of laughter made me flinch and move faster. A few humans cast curious glances down at my bare feet, but I moved too quickly for anyone to speak to me.
I’d consulted an elder woman to find out where I could get a dress—a shop frequented by supes—a place where nobody would think twice about my bare feet, damp hair, or strange cloak. The selkie elder woman also gave me a heavy pouch of coins, blessing my venture. She was the only one I told. My father would be livid when he discovered me gone, but if I had told him my plan, he would have worried himself ill. The fact was I was an adult now, and the invitation would take me no matter what.
It was already darkening outside when I went into the shop on the corner. To humans, it appeared a second-hand clothing store from the outside, dated and unwelcoming. But to us creatures who entered, it was a glamorous, sparkling shop inside. I stared around the room, breathing it all in.
“Attending the Ball?”
I jumped at the voice of the old witch who came out from behind a rack of scarves, dressed in gauzy mauve with fat jewels at her ears, neck, and fingers.
“Yes,” I told her, my eyes skittering around at the walls of gowns.
“Well, no time to waste. You’ll need your hair done as well. It looks as though it hasn’t been brushed in…ever.”
I frowned down at the long, wavy, brown locks that flowed to my waist, untamed and tangled with wind and salt. It had been a while since I’d cared for it. I gave her a sheepish shrug and she grinned.
“Thankfully for you, I do it all. Come along, then.”
Two minutes until midnight, the witch sent me out the back door into the narrow, darkened alleyway. It felt strange not to feel the cobbled stones against my soles, but instead to have my feet cradled in elegant, strappy, black sandals with a small heel. She’d made me try on the sexier high heels like the other women who’d come in for the ball, and then she’d cackled outright for five full minutes after my failed attempt to walk and my flailing arms.
I ran my hands nervously over my dark hair, which was now smooth, silky, and bone straight. My dress had seemed made for me, my every curve slipping into the fitted mold perfectly. The gown was simultaneously modest and sensual, black lace that fit snuggly from my chest to just above my knee then flared out airily from knee to ankle. Delicate lace sleeves drooped against my upper arms, leaving my shoulders bare. Shame to hide the dress beneath my pelt, but alas.
Apparently, the selkie elder woman had sent me with more coin that necessary because the witch’s eyes had widened and gleamed when I dumped the treasure on her counter. She’d worked quickly, snapping droop-pearl earrings to my lobes, shaping my nails and painting a French-manicure, then darkening my eyes and glossing my lips.
“Simple, natural beauty,” she’d said again. And for the first time ever, as I’d stared into the mirror, I did feel beautiful.
But now, as I stood in the alleyway, staring up at the moon and holding my invitation tightly, that feeling of satisfaction dissipated into quivering fear and self-doubt. Who did I think I was to dress up and challenge the magpie? A selkie! This was madness! Did I expect to march up to him and say, “Oy! Give me back those pelts ya bloody bastard!” and he would say, “Well, if you insist.”
I was so lost in frantic thought that I scarcely registered the moon brightening overhead until…pop.
I gasped, and my knees wobbled for a moment as my surroundings completely changed. Oh, gods…I’d been transported. My chest heaved erratically as I peered around. Though I’d been expecting it, my body still reeled as I took in my new surroundings. The cobblestones underfoot had changed to dingy sidewalks with fissures and cracks, even rubbish along the edges. Behind me was a buzzing street of headlights and honking taxis. It was noisier here than in Edinburgh—wherever here was—and fumes from vehicle exhaust burned my nose and throat. Humans walked past, loud and oblivious to me standing there in shock. I turned back to the long alley, which tapered into ominous, yet alluring, darkness.
My feet took me forward, my mind shouting warnings of impending dangers, while my body craved the promise of adventure. I’d never felt this way. So alive.
Focus, Ada. Do not be dazzled and lose sight of your mission!
Forward. My feet moved. Just as I was completely lost in a sea of darkness with even the moon momentarily disappearing, a red door appeared from the haze, flanked by two stone slabs attached to the wall, topped by imposing stone gargoyles. I peered around, confused. This grimy warehouse was where the most elaborate ball in history was held? It made no sense.
I watched with trepidation as the gargoyle bodies softened, unfurling their wings and leaping gracefully down before me. The gatekeepers. I took in the beauty of the twin creatures and their dreadlocked hair as they strode toward me giving off sexy vibes that made me flush. I didn’t have much, okay, any experience with supes, only humans. Human males definitely did not give off waves of sensual energy like this. It had to be their magical essence. I took a deep breath to calm my body.
“Your invitation?” one asked, holding out his hand. I felt embarrassed at how my own fingers trembled when I handed it to him. The brothers gave each other knowing grins before looking at me again.
“Don’t worry,” one of them told me. “Your nerves won’t last long.”
“Go,” the other said, moving aside. “Make it a night to remember, selkie.”
I gave them a raspy, “Thank you,” before moving past them, through the door, once again immersing myself into darkness as I moved forward. My heart would not settle. I longed for the quiet comforts of the sea. And then all at once, flashing lights and booming music assaulted me. I slipped through the opening and backed myself against the nearest wall as I tried to get my bearings. And then, I hit something fluffy and fell into it with a comfortable plop.
My entire body was enveloped in a white, squishy sort of round chair. So much fluff! For a moment, a hesitant smile flitted across my face as I let my hands sink into it, and then I allowed myself to look around.
Wow.
The room seemed impossibly large and was already packed with bodies. Flashes of colorful lights came from every direction like a rainbow light display. It was pristine in here. Gleaming even. The outside façade had done well to keep its contents hidden. But despite the luxurious feel, my senses overloaded.
So many bodies—each of them trying to talk over the din, peals of laughter ringing out. Music blared from the band on an inner balcony three floors up. Above them, rather than a metal ceiling, a massive cloud fraught with lightning seemed suspended overhead. It was all undoubtedly breathtaking, but the onslaught of sound and lights was almost more than I could bear. I realized I was cringing against the sensory overload.
Calm yourself, Ada! I struggled to catch my breath and still
my heart.
All around me were faces, beautiful and handsome and full of confidence. I could see the lack of fear in their eyes, their ability to fight in the ways they walked and even their stances as they stood, holding drinks. So much power in one place. All around me were warriors and I, nothing but a peaceful sea pup who craved the muffle of water in her ears. How would I ever pull this off? I was surely the weakest creature in this room.
My keen senses took in the scents of other animals: canines, felines, birds, and what was that one with the hint of sulfur smoke? Dragon? Whoa. Each type of dander and skin had its own unique smell—musky, warm, and enchanting. Under those scents were essences of flowers, fruits, spices, even vanilla. Perfumes. And beneath all of that were the smells of the building hiding beneath the magic. Metal, concrete. My stomach turned a little as I tried to adapt to it all. And adapt I must, for somewhere in this building was a thief.
My heart began its quick pounding again as I forced myself to stand and look upon individual faces as they walked past. Handsome, brooding faces. Gorgeous eyes, lips raised in smiles of both amusement and flirtation. Elegant hands holding brightly colored drinks. Dresses of every color and style, some trailing the floor, some so tiny they displayed cleavage and upper thighs without apology.
My eyes searched for a tall, thin body. The long, beaklike nose. But the magpie was not in sight. And what was I to do when I found him? My chest heaved with a rattling breath of fear.
“May I take your cloak, Miss?” I peered up at the handsome young man—a warlock, given the crackle of magical power I felt in my gut at his nearness—until his words registered, causing me to close my fists around the edges of my pelt and pull back.
“No.”
His eyes widened with surprise. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to offend.”
“Never ask a selkie for her pelt.” The female voice came from beside us. I tilted my head in surprise at the dark-haired girl, also in a fitted black lace dress. She smiled and matched the tilt of my head.
“A selkie?” asked the warlock, eyeing me with appreciative interest. “Wow. Sorry. I didn’t know. I’ve never met a selkie.”
I managed a smile, feeling stupid about my overreaction. “It’s okay. I don’t get out much.”
He laughed and gave a small bow before leaving us. I turned to the girl, and we gave each other the once-over.
“Well, twinsie, this is awkward,” she said, pointing to my dress, which was identical to hers except for the sleeves. Hers was strapless. “Did you happen to get yours in Edinburgh?”
“At that witch’s shop on the corner,” I said, nodding.
She laughed and shook her head. “So much for individuality.” She held out a hand. “I’m Nia Gagne. Dryad from Canada.”
A forest nymph! I shook her hand, smiling. “Lovely to meet you. I’m Ada Bayne.” Looking her over, I wanted to laugh. We really were like twins. Her hair was a shade lighter, and several inches shorter, but long and straight like mine. Our faces were both slightly rounded, but her eyes were a bright green where mine were brown. And her heels were way higher than mine. When the light bounced off her, I noticed a layer of what appeared to be fine bark underneath her smooth skin.
For that moment as we stood there together, the weight of my mission lightened, and I felt almost content.
“So, what’s your plan for tonight?” she asked. “Meet a man? What’s your type? I have a druid friend if you want to meet him.” Her words were casual, but my stomach tightened.
“No,” I quickly said. “I…I’m not really here to meet males.”
“Females?” She waggled an eyebrow, and I shook my head. “Well, it’ll be hard to avoid meeting someone when you look like that. Plus, you’re giving off this super sweet and innocent air, which is going to make these creatures go wild. They’ll fight over who gets to be the first to defile you.”
I stood taller, trying to harden my face, but it only made her laugh and nudge my cloaked shoulder.
“Ooh,” she said, rubbing the pelt, which made me shiver. “It’s so smooth.” When someone touched my pelt, it felt as if they ran their fingers over my naked skin. Part of my soul—my essence—was in my pelt.
“Nia!” The shout came from the bar across the way. Nia and I raised our chins to see two males and a female holding up shot glasses. “Come on!” They waved her over.
“Ah, drinks!” she exclaimed. “Join us.”
“I can’t,” I said, disappointment prickling my belly. “I have to look for someone.”
She gave a pretty pout. “Find me later, okay? I’ll introduce you to my friends.”
I nodded, wishing I could focus on hanging out and having fun, but that was not in the stars for me. What were the chances that I would meet a non-selkie supe who felt like she could be a friend?
“Bye, twinsie!” Nia skipped into the crowd, leaving me feeling more alone than ever. I took a deep breath and held it, closing my eyes, then I let it out slowly. I had to find the magpie and figure out a way to get the pelts. Nothing else mattered, and I couldn’t waste another moment.
I moved through the bodies, keeping one hand gripped to the edge of my pelt. When I met the eyes of male creatures, I quickly looked away, feeling their stares linger as I glided past, weaving through the mass, trying to take in as many faces as I could. Overhead, the music thumped from speakers along the walls, blasting drums, guitar, and vocals from the band above. The closer I got to the dance floor, the harder it was to move. Dizziness hit me as I seemed to walk into a wall of humid pheromones, and it was no wonder. The dance floor moved like a sea of sensual undulations, writhing in ecstasy, mouths, hands, and bodies rubbing to the beat in a way that heated my skin to a sizzle.
When I felt someone behind me, moving against my pelt and feeling for my waist, I turned to the side and darted away, breathing too hard. I met the eyes of the broad supe who had touched me, his eyes searching me out for a reason why I’d rushed away. Inhaling, I discovered him to be a wolf-shifter with eyes that promised warm nuzzling. I dropped my gaze in apology and kept moving. Something told me the magpie would not be on the dance floor, so I needed to get out of there.
I made my way through the edges of the room, scanning the people sitting at the bars. I shook my head when the gorgeous blond bartender raised his chin at me and creatures of all types and genders tried to goad me into joining them, holding out fizzy concoctions.
A girl could really lose herself at The Monster Ball. I’d never felt more tempted to take a break and have a drink, to lose myself in the comfort of being touched, but I had to keep my wits.
It took forever to walk through the bottom level. Now, it was time to make my way to the second floor, which was like an indoor balcony along the walls of the warehouse overlooking the bottom floor. Up the shining, rainbow stairway, the atmosphere was slightly quieter with less people, but the cacophony of voices from below filled my ears, and the walls and floor reverberated with bass from the music.
Something in the air up here felt baser and more sinister. Unmistakable sounds and smells of sex thickened the air, even cries of pain. My heart pounded too loudly in my ears as I walked past the individual privacy cubes, which were eerily silent. Likely soundproof. But along the walkway were couches and giant, fluffy white chairs where couples spoke closely, some of them plainly moving together in harmony.
I was no prude—selkies ventured ashore because of our innate desires to be touched in our human form—and I was no different. But my experiences with human sons of farmers were never quite so…vigorous. I was still blushing as I rounded a corner and felt eyes on me. My breath stuck as I stared down the walkway and found the culprit.
Standing in front of a closed privacy pod at the other end was an imposing, tall male dressed in all black. Darkness seemed to shroud him, and I couldn’t look away. He stood with his hands clasped in front of himself like a guard. Even from this distance, I could make out the chiseled features of his face watching me through a curtain of black w
aves that brushed the top of his shoulders. Our gazes collided. He gave the impression of a gorgeous moon hanging in the night sky, a beacon to lure others in, only to be met by that strange, consuming darkness surrounding him.
What sort of creature was he? I shivered and realized I’d stopped in my tracks. My fight or flight instinct had kicked in, and my body wanted nothing more than to turn and go back the other way. Why did the male have to stare at me like that, as if trying to intimidate me?
Keep going, Ada. I imagined my mother and aunts trapped in the castle, and it spurred my feet to move forward again. If I allowed myself to be afraid of every creepily beautiful creature who stared at me tonight, I’d be paralyzed. With a deep, quiet breath, I moved.
His eyes stayed on me though I continued to look elsewhere, feigning interest in the people dancing below, and the ensorcelled clouds above pulsing colorful lights. I listened hard to any snatches of conversation I could, trying to discover the magpie, but everything I heard was either sexual or idle gossip.
I willed my stupid heart to settle as I neared the menacing male still standing like a dangerous living statue. My nose crinkled at the sounds of sniveling moans and gnashing teeth from somewhere behind me. I began to move a little quicker when I spotted something dark and velvety sticking out from the edge of the pod door being guarded. It only took half a second to recognize what other beings might have mistook as a piece of clothing or a blanket.
It was part of a pelt.
My lungs shuddered as my body temporarily forgot how to work.
“Move along.”
The low, gruff voice, so close, scared me half to death. I lifted my face to find the same male creature—the guard—taking a step toward me, his eyes showing their dark depths, and I was hit with a low rumble of some sort of grave magic that made me stumble back. When I did, I hit the railing, scaring myself. The male reached out to steady me, and when he grasped my upper arm, his hand was so hot and strong against the pelt that I made an unexpected throaty sound of arousal.
The Monster Ball Year 2 Page 44
